For a modern conservative or reactionary, there is often little good news to celebrate, but occasional victories can come from unexpected avenues. This month, we witnessed an historic first. The overseas UK territory of Bermuda and her government under the Progressive Labour Party became the first jurisdiction to repeal previously legalized same-sex marriage. Any development which results in the roll-back of a leftist policy is worth a closer look, particularly for those interested in the study of power.

Bermuda is not at the front of the mind of most Westerners. It conjures images of lost planes and ships in the middle of the ocean. Bermuda is a 20 square mile island 800 miles east of South Carolina with an economy supported primarily by international finance and tourism. These industries support a large expat population, around 10,000 strong. Of Bermuda’s 50,000 citizens, roughly 60% are black or mulatto. Being an overseas territory of the UK, her laws are subject to veto by the colonial governor,  an appointee of the crown. The governor has the right to dissolve parliament and call a new election if no party has a majority and is therefore unable to form a government. While imperfect, this system can constitute a check on the passions of the electorate.

There are two political parties in Bermuda. The Progressive Labour Party (PLP) is almost entirely black, and its policies are a mix of economic protectionism mixed with a strain of religious conservatism. The One Bermuda Alliance (OBA) is a globalist, pro-business, and minority party that is more socially permissive. To the modern American, these parties seem incoherent. After all, don’t American blacks vote overwhelmingly for social progressivism? One key element of Bermudian culture is the deep respect for religion, which is on the wane elsewhere in the West. Church attendance is high, and Bermuda is among the leading jurisdictions in churches per capita.

The Battle over Marriage

The OBA won the parliament from the PLP in December 2012 after over a decade of PLP rule. The PLP lost power after over a decade of economic mismanagement and corruption. The OBA’s margin of victory was slim; it won only 52% of the popular vote. Accordingly, the OBA’s mandate was very slim. Its platform was centered on economic reform, with promises not to become overzealous. In 2013, the first OBA premier, Craig Cannonier, promised that the OBA would not try to legalize same-sex marriage. A few years later, Cannonier lost power, and the same-sex marriage advocates continued their campaign in earnest.

In 2016, the OBA government held a non-binding referendum on same-sex marriage and civil unions. Both measures failed spectacularly. The “no” votes amounted to 60 to 70 percent. Proponents of same-sex marriage were setting the stage by accumulating rejected marriage license applications in preparation for an appeal to the Bermuda Supreme Court on the basis of the country’s non-discrimination act.

Overreach

Until 2016, it was clear that the OBA understood its tenuous position and slim mandate by only making mild reforms. This all changed when in an effort strikingly similar to that of the American Democratic Party, the OBA began trying to import new voters. The OBA proposed that long-term residents, who have stayed for over 15 years, could be eligible for permanent residence, but not citizenship. This initiative was called “Pathways to Status.” It was clear that this position could later be strengthened to give citizenship to those residents at a politically favorable time.

The PLP countered with two clever methods. First, it weaponized its seniors via protests, which led to an optically damaging crackdown. Seeing senior citizens being physically removed from the parliament building tends to make one look like a villain. The PLP then coordinated with the dock workers’ union and set up a strike, in which all non-essential goods were to be left on cargo ships. The Colonial Governor threatened to call a new election, which caused the OBA to blink and withdraw the Pathways to Status proposal. The strike, in the presence of the credible threat to dissolve the government, can be thought of as a harrying and demoralizing attack on the OBA to force a weak opponent to give decisive battle. The OBA couldn’t have endured months of a shipping strike and would have decisively lost a snap election at that time.

In May of 2017, the Bermuda Supreme Court struck down the ban on same-sex marriage. The religious majority on the island was incensed. This ruling would have been less damaging to the OBA if it had taken place after the election, which the OBA was constitutionally obligated to hold before December 2017, but a lack of coordination lead to its eventual defeat. The PLP jumped on this unforced error and reminded the public of the OBA’s electoral promises.

In July, the OBA suffered a crushing defeat by plebiscite. The PLP vowed to pass a bill which would reintroduce the same-sex marriage ban, while still affirming civil unions. Although from our perspective this is far from ideal, it helps ensure the signaling power of the institution of marriage is not diluted. The ban passed the Houses of Parliament with wide margins in December of 2017. Opponents of the ban appealed to the governor to override the law as the courts had done. The UK parliament even debated the matter, with opponents of the ban arguing to overturn standard practice for self-governing UK territories and strike down the ban. Same-sex marriage partisans still vow to challenge the ban using some sort of constitutional action and boycotts.

Given the nature of leftist ratchets and other structural strengths of the Left, how did the PLP roll back capital-P progress? The PLP achieved victory through the skillful application of power. The PLP, despite being the opposition party, had tools with which to frustrate, slow, and ultimately defeat its opponents. Mobilizing sympathetic supporters and senior citizens, as well as forcing opponents into an unflattering position, helped its electoral prospects. Harrying the OBA through the use of tactical workers’ strikes into the unpleasant choice of calling a snap election or withdrawing its proposals was a brilliant maneuver. Taking advantage of lack of coordination is also an important lesson.

Reactionaries may not have much in common with Bermuda’s Progressive Labour Party, but its victory on this issue is instructive. The Left can be defeated, its plans can be frustrated, its supporters demoralized, and its goals thwarted, but only if we apply our power wisely and skillfully.